When Opportunity Knocks
by kisukebenihime
Summary: *PeinSaku* War threatens the shinobi world once again and the Akatsuki have a solution to the problem. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

When Opportunity Knocks

(**A/N**: Hello my wonderful readers and reviewers. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement (some of you). I've decided to try out a new pairing. Lord knows I write enough ItaSaku to last us a lifetime. So, here goes nothing… or something. I'm not sure just yet. Tell me what you think. Please!!)

~xxx~

The presence of the Akatsuki in the large village of Konoha had been a huge shock to the system of it's citizens. Only four of them but it was enough to scare the villagers into a panic, rushing in the opposite direction to keep their lives intact. Konoha's elite sprung into action, placing themselves in harms way to keep their home safe. But one sentence from the orange-haired man leading the pack of S-class criminals, made them reconsider their choice to protect and defend.

"Tell your leader we've come to speak with her." The words were a deadly whisper from the thin, pierced lips of the Akatsuki leader. But the shinobi stood their ground, brandishing weapons of all sorts and sizes. Konoha's shinobi were known as the jack of all trades and their weapons proved that much. There was a thunderous boom from ahead of the group causing the earth to quake under foot.

"Get out of my way!" came a shout mere seconds after the shaking ceased. Tsunade strode purposefully towards the group of criminals, her chakra surging with malicious intent. The show of force did not surprise the Akatsuki, Tsunade had every right in the world to be resistant to their appearance. But, the Leader was surprised to find his group surrounded on all sides.

Capturing his attention was Hatake Kakashi, standing to their left, battle ready. To their right was Naruto, growling at them with a vicious glare in his gleaming red eyes. Sai, the Uchiha's replacement had a scroll ready in hand as he stood behind the group. And, arriving with the Hokage was the pretty apprentice, small fists clinched and prepared to unleash all hell.

"Just as you had predicted, Leader-sama." The blue-haired kunoichi whispered from his right, a slight smirk on her plump lips.

"What do you want?" the blonde Hokage asked as she readied herself for a confrontation. Whatever the outcome… she had to keep her village safe.

"I have come to offer you an opportunity." The orange-haired male spoke, voice as smooth as silk. Tsunade stared at him in disbelief. Clearly, he had to be kidding her. But as his grey-ringed eyes stared at her calmly, she could feel no deceit coming from him. Tsunade nodded but kept her guard up.

"Very well… my office. Try anything funny and your dead." She warned and received at nod in return. The group of S-class criminals followed her lead while being followed themselves. Team Kakashi was not about to let their Hokage stumble into an knowing attack… not if they could help it. The crowd of shinobi parted like the Red Sea as their leader led the way to the Hokage's tower.

~xxx~

Itachi and Kisame watched as their leader and Konan disappeared behind the solid oak doors of the Hokage's office along with Kakashi. They were left standing in the hallway with three members of Team Kakashi as the final member appeared from around the corner, unable to believe his eyes.

"What are you bastards up to?" Naruto growled as he took a step forward. "How dare you just--"

"Naruto!" Sakura cut in, pulling him back to stand next to her. "Don't do anything stupid, Naruto."

Kisame snickered. "Listen to your teammate, kid. We're the last people you want to mess with." Sakura turned a sharp glare in Kisame's direction and growled. Itachi gave a 'hn' as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"Don't make me come over there and prove you wrong, Fishy-chan. I've heard about what you can do… and I'm not impressed." She hissed with her hands on her hips.

"Bring it on, Pinky. I highly doubt a weak little thing like you could possibly scratch my hide." Kisame said with a wave of his hand as the other shouldered Samehada.

"What the hell did you just say?!" she breathed. Naruto and Yamato jumped up to hold the pink-haired kunoichi back. Inside the office… things were more civilized. Tsunade sat straight in her chair as the two Akatsuki members stared blankly at her. Kakashi stood to her right, one hand in his kunai pouch; just in case. They sat in strained silence for a few moments, listening to the commotion in the hall as they waited. Once things in the hall grew quite, Tsunade sighed.

"What is this opportunity you were talking about?" she asked with a huff.

"Orochimaru is amassing an army and is planning to invade Konoha with help from Kirigakure." Pein said with no hint of emotion in his voice.

"Why are you telling me this? Wouldn't you benefit from his actions?" Tsunade questioned with a growl.

"Not if he kills Naruto-kun in the process."

"Konoha will not hand him over, especially to the likes of you!" she shouted, pounding her fists on the table. There was a pause before Pein cocked his head to the side.

"With Orochimaru out of the way… we will have no need for the Jinchuuriki. All we require is a medic." He assured. Tsunade wasn't buying it.

"This has to be the biggest load of crap I have ever heard." The desk snapped in half under her palms. Konan looked at Pein, a sort of 'I-told-you-so' look in her eyes as she sighed and nodded.

"In exchange for a medic, any and all information concerning Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru will be handed over to you. As well as our assistance in the capture and execution of the Sannin." She said in a soft tone.

Tsunade bit back a growl. "Why should I trust you?" Pein stood then, straightening his cloak.

"Because without us," he started, looking Tsunade right in the eye. "Your village will fall." Standing from her devastated desk, Tsunade contemplated the offer. "We will give you some time to think it over."

"We'll do it." She said, turning to face Kakashi. "Heaven forgive me…" she whispered. "You will get your medic."

~xxx~

Sakura stood as stiff as possible while the man before her looked her over. Of course, he just had to touch her hair and ask if it was natural. She squeaked out a 'yes' before he turned away from her and walked to the next person in line. Once he was five people down the line, Sakura sighed heavily.

"I don't believe I said you could breath." A voice whispered in her ear, warm breath ghosting over the sensitive skin there. On instinct, Sakura pushed herself away, aiming a swift kick to the person's knee as she fled for safety with a kunai at the ready. Pein had evaded the kick with ease, taking a step towards the frightened kunoichi. "She will do nicely."

Tsunade appeared next to him, a smug look on her face. "That is my apprentice, Haruno Sakura." Of the fifteen medics called into the grand hall… Sakura just had to be the one they picked. Just wonderful. It was explained to the medics present, as well as the rest of the shinobi population, that Konoha and the Akatsuki were in a sort of alliance. Thus any action against them was an act against the Fire country and would be dealt with accordingly. There went her plan for beating the crap out of Kisame.

"Ah, yes. I've heard stories about you." Pein said as he eyed the hyperventilating, pink-haired medic. "You've even managed to kill one of my subordinates; one of my best, in fact." Sakura just stared at him as she collected herself. This man was something else, she concluded while he and Tsunade watched her.

"He got in the way of my mission." She finally said, calming herself and standing upright from her battle ready position. Something gleamed in Pein's eyes, something she couldn't quite describe. He paused for a moment, ringed eyes locked on hers that made her gulp.

"You're a very entertaining kunoichi." He commented before turning to Tsunade with a nod. "I believe we have a deal."

~xxx~

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Sakura had to be kidding, she was just playing a prank on them. Yeah, that had to be it. But the longer she scowled with the raven-haired Akatsuki member standing next to her, Naruto had no choice but to believe the facts. She was going with the Akatsuki to be their medic until Orochimaru was captured or killed. Kakashi had to hold the blonde back as he screeched about the unfairness of the 'deal.'

"You guys just barged into our village, demand us to work with you AND you're taking Sakura-chan when you leave?! How the hell is that fair?" the fox container shouted as he desperately tried to wiggle his way free from his sensei's grasp.

"I don't like it either, Naruto." Sakura said with her arms crossed. "But for the sake of the village and your safety, I have to go with them, Naruto. Otherwise, we don't stand a chance against Orochimaru."

"But… Sakura-chan, who's going to look after you?"

"Haruno-san is perfectly capable of looking after herself." Itachi intoned as he gave Naruto a blank stare. A vein threatened to burst in Sakura's forehead. Leave it to Naruto to make her look like a baby.

"Naruto, I'm going to be fine." She said softly. "They need me to heal them. Nothing's going to happen."

"You can't be sure of that!" he snapped as he finally stopped squirming in Kakashi's grasp, falling limp in the older jonin's arms. He shot a glare in the older Uchiha's direction. "You had better take care of her or so help me…"

"You worry too much, Naruto." Sakura sighed as she pulled the fox container into a tight hug. "Everything's going to be ok, you'll see. I'll be back in no time." She smiled.

"Think of it this way, Naruto," Kakashi said as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's leaving for a little while to train." Naruto paused for a moment before nodding his head reluctantly and let her go.

"It is time to go." Itachi intoned as he moved towards the door. Sakura still had to pack some things before she left at midnight. She had been told it was safer, for her, if they moved out in the cover of darkness. Orochimaru's spies were everywhere… closer to the leaf village than they really knew. After exchanging quick good byes, Sakura and Itachi went to her apartment and packed one bag for her. He explained to her that she would be able to get anything else she needed after she arrived in Rain country.

Midnight rolled in quicker than she had imagined. A light fog rolled in, bathing the village in a smoky atmosphere as the Akatsuki members and Sakura stood at the gates. They were completely alone, save the night patrol shinobi on duty, as they waited for something…

Pein looked at her suddenly, giving her a once over before nodding. "We will take our leave then." He said as he turned from her and proceeded out of the gates. Sakura adjusted the straps on her pack. She looked around one last time before following the Akatsuki members out of the village and into the night.

"Don't get all sentimental on us, Pinky. You have to be at the top of your game from here on out." Kisame said from her right. Sakura glared at him, an enchanting scowl etched on her lips.

"Kiss my ass, Kisame." She spat and crouched, bounding into the nearest tree. "The 'top of my game' thing is nothing compared to you guys." If she had a dime for every time someone said that phrase to her… Sakura was positive she could have retired years ago.

"That just means you'll have to work harder to pick up the slack." Kisame grinning, sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

"Have I told you how much I hate you?"

~xxx~

Pein gazed across the darkening sky, thoughts blank as he scanned the tree line ahead of him. Amegakure was just a days trip from here, but they stopped for the medic-nin. Sakura had been able to keep up with them, which he hadn't expected. She didn't complain about the trip nor the arrangement but she did have something to say to Kisame every time he opened his mouth. It was amusing, really, to watch them argue… even if he had tuned them out.

His gaze turned to the girl sleeping by the fire. Pein was reminded of a child as he watched her curl into a ball, snuggling deeper into her sleeping bag. The glow of the dying fire lit her porcelain skin in shades of orange and gold, much like his hair. The glow highlighted her high cheekbones, softly shaped nose and parted lips. He smirked as she murmured something in her sleep and rolled over to lay on her back.

Itachi came into view moments later, having finished laying traps as Konan and Kisame scouted the area. So much for voyeurism. But he continued to watch, eyes on Itachi now that he had returned. The raven-haired male walked passed Sakura's sleeping form, pausing in his steps and turning to look down at the girl. But only for a moment. Itachi walked over to the other side of the fire and propped himself up against a tree.

"The area is secured, Pein." Konan whispered, standing next him. He gave a nod and walked away from her, finding a small nook in one of the trees and leaned against it. Pein would not sleep tonight. Too many things demanded his attention as he let his mind wander.

Three hours later, Sakura sat up with a start. Chest heaving, eyes wide and searching and a kunai held tightly in her shaking hand. The four Akatsuki members were prepared to fight in an instant when they discovered what made them jump. She was shaking like a leaf on a tree, trying desperately to keep her tears at bay.

"Something the matter, Haruno-san?" Konan asked as she stepped forward.

"I-I'm fine, Konan-san." Sakura said with a shaky breath, running a hand through her pink locks. "I'm sorry… it was just a bad dream." Ringed eyes watched her hunched form with a slight quirk of the eyebrow.

"We should get ready to go." Pein said, eyes still on the young kunoichi. She turned her head to look at him. Green met grey in a brief exchange. Sakura nodded mutely and shuffled about her sleeping bag.

Dawn broke over the horizon, casting long shadows through the clouds as the five travelers bounded among the trees. Amegakure was just beyond the forest.

"Oh, wow…" Sakura breathed as she took in the sight of the large city below her. Towers and buildings made of steel and stone dotted the landscape. Long paved roads crisscrossed before her as people walked through the rain to reach their destination and the lights on the buildings glowed dimly in the early morning. This had to have been the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She reached out and stuck her hand under the waterfall of rain. Funny… it was raining on one side and not where she stood. "It's so beautiful." She said with an awed expression on her heart-shaped face.

"The rain is a barrier." Pein spoke from beside her, he too, stuck his hand under the rainfall.

"This is… the amount of chakra and control… amazing." She said as she looked up at him.

"A God must always know who enters his city."

~xxx~

"What the hell are _you_ doing here, yeah?"

"Why the hell are _you_ still _alive_?"

Expect the unexpected, Kakashi had always told her… but Sakura never imagined that a man she believed to be dead would be eating an apple the exact time she walked into the kitchen area. In all of her eighteen years, Sakura had never been so surprised. Here she was, minding her own business and walking with Konan, when out of the blue… an apple core just missed her face by inches.

"Why is the bitch who killed Danna here, yeah?" Deidara shouted, pointing a finger in Sakura's direction. Konan turned a blank stare in his direction.

"She is our medic." She said. "You would do well to remember that we need her." Deidara growled, body shaking with rage. "Come, Sakura-san." Konan waved her hand to dismiss the fuming blonde and led the way down the hall.

Three lefts and a sharp right turn later, Konan stopped at a door. "This will be your room for the night. Be ready to leave early tomorrow."

"I'm not staying here?" Sakura questioned as the door opened.

"I'm afraid not." Stated Konan, stepping aside to let Sakura through. "Get some rest."

~xxx~

_A Field of flowers rolled over vast hills as the midday sun shone in bright beams. With a sigh, Sakura lay back and took in the moment. All was quite, save the soft whistle of the wind as it swept by. Everything was perfect. Everything from the small rays of sunshine to the soft breeze fluttering across her skin to the light rain that started to pepper the field. Emerald orbs blinked in surprise._

_"I don't recall seeing rain clouds." Sakura said as her brows drew together and she sat up on her elbows. With a frown, Sakura stood and headed down the hill. The sound of metal clanking against metal caught her attention and she ran towards it._

_"Sakura-chan! Stay back!" Naruto shouted as she came to a stop just meters away._

_"Naruto!" She screamed, watching in horror as Sasuke appeared behind her best friend and stabbed him with his sword. "Naruto!" Sakura rushed towards her fallen friend and dropped down at his side. Pumping chakra into his body, Sakura tried in vain to heal him. She sobbed as she worked but gave up and slumped forward._

_"Sakura, huh?" a voice said from above her. Sakura looked up and into the dead eyes of Sasuke… but they were different. She gasped as his eyes flashed a golden color, the color of…_

_"Orochimaru…" she hissed. 'Sasuke' raised his sword above his head and turned the blade toward her. There was a pause in his movements then the sword came racing down, piercing her heart--_

Sakura jumped out of bed with a flurry of movement, kunai in hand as her wide eyes scanned the room. Emerald eyes landed on a dark figure standing at the foot of her bed. She gave a strangled cry of surprise and fell backward.

"I apologize." Pein whispered as he moved to help her stand up. Sakura gripped his hand and stood, still trying to catch her breath.

"I-I'm sorry…" she stammered and tossed the kunai on the bed. "Did I oversleep? Are we going to be late… ?"

"You are up early." He stated and let go of her soft hand. "When you're ready, Konan has made breakfast."

(**A/N**: Well… this _was_ going to be a one-shot but it kind of took on a live of it's own. This will be a short story, two to three chapters maybe more (you decide). Please, I'm begging you, let me know what you think! I apologize if it seems to skip around a lot… I wasn't exactly sure how this was going to play out.)


	2. Chapter 2

When It Rains, It Pours

(**A/N**: Thanks for your kind words of support. I hope you enjoy this chapter for I worked my ass off to put this up! _Special Note_: **This chapter is dedicated to TheRoseandtheDagger, Angel897, Rajsa and Sariasprincy**; because of your support I am able to continue onward. **THANK YOU**!!)

~xxx~

A geisha house… she was supposed to run a geisha house. The world was not kind. Sakura had only been on two seduction missions that required her to dress as a geisha. How the hell was she supposed to operate a house full of them? As the new Okaa-san for the okiya, Sakura was expected to care for and control fifteen geisha and seven maiko along with running the establishment as a spy for the Akatsuki by whatever means necessary. Why did this sound like a fairy tale?

"Oh, bloody hell…" she sighed, looking over the dilapidated building before her. "Thank Kami, I have some experience with this." Sakura whispered.

"There is no need to thank me. Tsunade should take full credit." Pein said as he looked over at her. Sakura puffed out her cheeks and narrowed her eyes.

"I'll remember that for next time, _Kami-sama_." She hissed lightly while continuing forward and walked up the steps to the building. He walked in before her, calling the attention of the attending girl at the counter.

"Ohayo gozaimasu." The girl said as she bowed low to them. She was painted white from her hairline to the nape of her neck, even her hands were white. Long ebony locks were pulled up in an intricate twist, accented with a beautiful array of hair pins. The girl couldn't have been more that fifteen years of age, standing her full height of 5'8. Sakura smiled softly, the girl was one of the seven maiko running around the building. "How may we assist you today, Pein-sama?" she asked politely.

"Gather the girls and have them meet me in the banquet hall." The girl bowed again and scampered off to carry out her task. Pein turned to the right and led Sakura into a large room with long tables on either side. Tatami mats lined both sides of the tables, sixteen on each side; Sakura counted. Was she really expected to host so many people in a crummy place like this?

The paint on the walls was chipping, wall paper pealing from the boarders, there were holes in the floor and a few broken windows and shoji screens. If this place was really run by the Akatsuki, why was it in such… disrepair?

"The last woman to run this okiya tried to swindle us of the money and let the place fall apart." Pein said as if he could read her mind. "Kakuzu was not happy."

"I've got a lot of work to do." Sakura whispered as she inspected the table. The rustle of clothing sounded in the large room as she turned to see the geisha and maiko lined up at one of the tables.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Pein-sama." The line of painted faces said as one and bowed low. Pein stood next to Sakura and settled a large hand on her shoulder.

"This is Haruno Sakura, she will be taking over for Naomi." He introduced but kept Sakura from bowing to the women. The reason for this was clear; she was now the head of this establishment and she would not bow to them, they were to bow to her.

"I hope this one is better than the last." Snorted one of the geisha. She was an older woman - mid to late twenties - with a bit more rouge in her makeup than some of the others. Pein did not say anything to the comment, to which, Sakura was thankful for. He just gave them his usual blank stare and continued.

"You will show her the same respect you do me." He intoned and moved to walk out of the room. Sakura followed his lead and kept pace, about three steps behind.

~xxx~

Rika was an elderly woman who had seen it all, and she had the wrinkles to prove it. She was the head of the maid serves in the okiya and had once worked there as a geisha. Suffice to say, Rika had stories… and she was willing to share. But that was for another time. For now though, Rika was to show Sakura around.

"This is the kitchen, feel free to grab something to eat whenever you want." The older woman sighed as she leaned against the counter. They were alone in the kitchen, not a sound around them save the creak of wood underfoot. Sakura looked around the kitchen and wrinkled her nose. The room was dusty, dingy and completely unsuitable to cook in, let alone stand in. Walking over to the sink, Sakura turned the faucet on and was greeted with the sound of loud knocking and a rusty squeak.

"Looks like I'll have to work on the plumbing, too." She huffed and turned the water.

"You're awfully young to run a place like this." Rika commented causing Sakura to turn and look at her. Eyeing Sakura like a hungry cat would a flopping fish, Rika pushed herself off the counter and circled the pink-haired medic. "Let me guess… two maybe three geisha related missions and now your working with the Akatsuki." Sakura gaped at the old woman in undisguised shock.

"What-- please, don't tell the others. Leader-sama is depending on me as well as my village." Sakura pleaded in a harsh whisper. Rika smiled at the girl before her, a reassuring gesture as she patted Sakura on the shoulder.

"Not to worry, dear. Pein-sama may be a dangerous man but he keeps us employed. He must have a good reason for sending you to us." Rika replied, moving towards the kitchen door. "Come Sakura-sama. I will show you to your room." Sakura nodded dumbly and followed the kimono-clad woman down the hall to a set of stairs. "You should be aware, there are two sets of stairs that lead to the third floor; this set and the grand staircase out front. I'm certain, Pein-sama will be coming to visit you from time to time - or at least, some of his men will - and they may need a quick way out."

"That's helpful." Sakura said as they ascended the rickety stairs, directly to the third floor.

"None of the girls are allowed up here when you have meetings; Pein-sama's orders. You shouldn't have a problem being interrupted… unless there's an emergency."

"And how often is that?" Sakura ventured, stepping foot onto the last step and looking around. It wasn't too bad up here. A little dusty but not as bad as the rest of the building.

"Oh," Rika sighed, continuing down the hall to the only door. "I'd say about twice a month. Mostly men that have had too much to drink." Sakura wilted in relief.

"That's comforting to know." She said with a tiny grin. Rika giggled over her shoulder and opened the door. The lights flickered to life, casting the oblong room in a dingy yellow glow. A thin layer of dust coated everything in site, making it hard to tell just how old everything was.

"This is your office. All of your finance books are on the shelves and the days profit is kept in the safe behind the desk." Rika instructed as she watched Sakura inspect the room.

"And my bedroom?" the pink-haired medic asked, turning away from the bookcase with a frown. Rika stalked over to the shoji doors to the left and slid them open.

"This is the only thing Naomi kept up on. Let the rest of the place fall apart but when it came to her room…" the old woman trailed off with a scowl.

"I understand, Rika-san." Sakura said as she entered her new room and looked around. It was the best looking room she had seen throughout the entire house… including the basement. And the basement was pretty damn clean. "I'll get started on the repairs first thing tomorrow. I'm going to need to get the supplies sometime today."

"Understood, Sakura-sama." Rika agreed. "Will the other members be helping you or is this your endeavor?"

"I'm not sure, Rika-san." Sakura sighed, turning to face the older woman as she clapped her hands together to rid them of dust. "For now, it looks like I'm on my own." Rika nodded softly.

"In either case, I'm glad Pein-sama sent you." A smile graced Rika's wrinkled face. "I should get started on dinner, while I'm thinking about it."

~xxx~

Sakura stared out the window of her new room as the sun set and the rain clouds rolled in. It had been a long day of learning, walking and bargaining. The supplies she purchased she practically got for a steal. Kakuzu would be proud. Now that she thought about it… Sakura hadn't seen Pein since he introduced her to the staff. Rain pattered the roof of the house as Sakura pushed the window open. She had always loved the rain.

Rain cleanses the soul. Her mother used to tell her when she was a little girl. Sakura believed it, to this day she believed her mother's words. As Sakura leaned against the window frame, she couldn't help but wonder what her mother would say to the situation she was in now.

"You'd probably laugh in my face and ask if I was joking." She yawned then reached out to touch the rain. This was normal rain, not the chakra infused downpour the surrounded Amegakure. Just normal, peaceful, rain that watered the potted plants outside her window.

"I thought you would have called it a night by now." A voice whispered from above. Sakura's heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she looked up to see Pein sitting on the roof, feet dangling over the side as he looked up at the rain clouds.

"Do you always sneak up on people?" she scowled as she crawled out of the window to join him.

"Not really," Pein intoned, not looking at her as she sat down a fair distance away from him.

"Then why do you always seem to sneak up on me?" Sakura asked, looking directly at his laidback form. Pein turned his gaze to her, studying her for a brief moment.

"A God does not need to explain himself." Was all he said to her before looking back up to the sky as the rain fell harder. She chuckled softly, patting her knee as she prepared to stand.

_Snap-crack_… **BAM**!

"SHIT!!" she screamed and disappeared. The section of roofing Sakura had been sitting on collapsed from under her, dropping into her bedroom. Pein peered over the hole in the roof, looking down on her sprawled form and broken bed. He chuckled softly at the image before him.

"Are you injured?" he asked as Sakura groaned and rolled to the side.

"I'm fine… I think." She hissed, placing a hand on her lower back as she stood and looked up. Amusement lined his ringed eyes as he looked at her. "Great! One more thing to add to my already enormous list of stuff to fix!" Sakura growled, shaking a fist at the hole in the roof.

"You must remember, Sakura-san; when it rains, it pours." Pein said as the rain increased, soaking Sakura to the bone in seconds. And just think that, he was gone, leaving a fuming Sakura behind. She spent the night on the couch in her room, cursing the day the Akatsuki made the deal with her Shishou.

(**A/N**: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for the length, I know it's short and I'm sorry. Review and let me know that you think, please. I'd love to hear from you. Peace out!)


	3. Chapter 3

A Helping Hand

(A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed the last two chapters… now here's the third.)

~xxx~

Sakura awoke with a stiff neck and sore back. The rain had stopped some time during the night and now everything was somewhat dry. She sat up with a groan and sent charka through her muscles, easing the pain and loosening her joints.

"Damn roof, damn rain… damn men with a God-complex!" she hissed and stood up. At least her pack didn't get wet so, she had a set of clean clothes. As Sakura grumbled her way to her personal bathroom, she couldn't help but sigh. There was a lot of work to be done and it looked like she was going to have to do it herself. Freshening up and changing into her clean clothes, Sakura went through her mental check list of things to do before she exited the bathroom and glared at the hole in the roof.

"Watch where you fucking put that thing, I almost fucking tripped!" a voice shouted from downstairs.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, yeah?" that was Deidara for sure but what were they doing here? Sakura decided to find out. She stepped into the hall and headed for the stairs as the voices grew louder, coming from the kitchen area.

"Ah, Deidara-senpai… you should be careful, Hidan might hurt you." Another voice cried as Sakura drew closer to the kitchen.

"I have an idea," Kisame said, Sakura could hear the sneer in his voice. "Why don't you all shut up, I have a hangover!"

"I swear to Jashin, you guys are a bunch of fucking pansies." Hidan hissed swinging his scythe in an attempt to cleave Deidara's head right off. The blonde was able to dodge the triple blades, sending the sharpened metal into the wall where it got stuck. Hidan yanked hard, ripping the wood boarder from the wall.

"Drop the scythe or you'll meet your maker sooner than expected." Sakura seethed with clinched fists.

"Oh ho, ho… this chick's got some balls." Hidan grinned as he shouldered his favorite weapon.

"You're paying for that molding!" Sakura hissed as she crossed her arms. Deidara was ginning like a schoolboy, watching Hidan scowl and readying for his smartass remark. "You too, Blondie. You're just as guilty at he is."

"What the hell did I do, yeah?" he seethed, taking a step towards her.

"You could have deflected it, not let the damn thing rip a new hole in something I needed to fix already." Growling as she turned her eyes to Deidara, Sakura tapped her foot on the hardwood floor. "Why are you guys here, anyway?"

"Leader-sama sent us to help with the repairs." Kakuzu said as he entered the room while looking at the new gaping hole in the wall. "Apparently there's a long list of things that need to be fixed."

"Yup, and these two nimrods just added another thing to the list." Sakura huffed, not sparing the offenders a glance as they complained. "If you haven't eaten yet, I suggest you do so now because we're not stopping until dark." She said airily with a wave of the hand and proceeded for cure Kisame's hangover then ate a hearty bowl of oatmeal.

~xxx~

"What about lumber? How much do you have to spend on that?" Kakuzu asked as he opened an account book and flipped to the last page. Everyone had been surprised when Sakura and Kakuzu started chatting about money. She was as miserly as he and they struck up a quick friendship… if one could call it that.

"That's where perfect chakra control comes in handy." She answered with a grin. "One of Shishou's chakra exercises is to cut perfect 2x4s in one hit."

"And how good are you at that?" Kisame interrupted with a smug look on his blue face.

"You'll see when we get to the forest." Sakura responded as the trio continued down the muddy path towards the forest. The rain clouds hung over their heads, threatening to unleash its fury at any given moment but it seemed to be holding off for now. Sakura believed that Pein had something to do with the rain in the entire country… not just Amegakure.

"You sure it's alright to leave those three back at the house?" Kisame questioned as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Itachi will keep them in line." Kakuzu confirmed, crossing his stitched arms over his chest. Both Akatsuki members had decided to forgo wearing their all-to-familiar cloaks in favor of their short sleeved -or in Kakuzu's case, sleeveless - shirts and the dingy blue, standard issued Akatsuki pants and stirrups.

"I feel bad for Itachi." Sakura commented with a frown. "Poor guy has to baby-sit the kids." Kisame's head fell back with barking laughter while Kakuzu chuckled. 'These guys aren't as bad as people make them out to be.' She thought with a growing smile. 'They just don't understand.'

"Alright, let's see you chop some wood." Kisame's words broke her train of thought. She scrunched her nose when his words sunk in.

"That so did not sound right."

"You sick little kitten. I didn't mean it like that." His smug features turned to face her embarrassed self as a scarlet blush flooded her face. She turned sharply towards the tree line and headed for the biggest one she could find. The Red Oak forest had many to choose from, but Sakura wanted the best.

"Found one!" she called after trudging over thick roots and underbrush for a good fifteen minutes. The tree in question was, at least, seventy-five feet tall with a circumference of more than ten feet and the bark was starting to slit… perfect if you asked her. Sakura walked around the tree, inspecting it, sizing it up and running a hand over the flaking bark as she 'hummed' and 'uh-huh-ed' her observations. Kakuzu and Kisame watched her with a questioning gaze as her hand ran over one spot in particular; a notch in the wood… a weak spot.

"This is the one you want to knock down?" Kisame asked, looking the large tree up and down. "Thing's fucking huge."

"There'll be plenty left over we can sell to make up for the stuff I had to buy." She said with a finger tapping her chin in thought as she lightly kicked the tree, receiving a deep thump in return.

"I say we get rid of Hidan and keep her." Kakuzu said, head rolling to one side to look at Kisame. "At least she understands the importance of money."

"Agreed." Kisame grinned as he turned his attention back to the girl inspecting the tree once more. "So, are you going to chop the damn thing down or not?" he called.

Sakura snorted in return, hand glowing blue with chakra. "You know, I never understood why the male erection has a euphemism like wood. I mean, sure it's hard but it's much easier to break." The men behind her just stared, wondering just what the hell she was talking about when she crouched down. The intense blue glow of chakra in her right hand grew brighter as Sakura rushed forward. "SHANNARU!" there was a tremendous burst of chakra, spidery lines of chakra shot through the tree, shaving the bark off and cutting the wood into fine, perfect timbers of 2x4s. Sakura's eyes gleamed as she watched the red oak 2x4s fall to the ground with an earth shattering roar. The men behind her shifted their legs nervously that the very idea of their genitals being handled like the tree.

Kisame's wide eyes turned to Kakuzu as a wide grin made its way to his lips. "That's a definite. Kitten's much easier on the eyes than Hidan's scrawny ass… plus, she can do some serious damage."

~xxx~

Pein hadn't expected the progress to have gotten this far when he arrived at the okiya later that day. Nor had he expected to see his men working for intently on the repairs. Deidara was painting the outside fence with paint smudges on both cheeks, pants and shirt. Tobi was just a few feet away, putting new rice paper on the shoji doors as he hummed and swayed his head from side to side. Upon further investigation, Pein found Hidan working on the holes in the floor by the banquet hall, Itachi and Kisame replacing the windows on the second floor and Sakura and Kakuzu fixing the roof. Yet none were complaining.

Sakura had to have either threatened them in to working or - no, there was no other way to possibly get these hardened criminals to do manual labor such as this.

"Good evening, Leader-sama." Sakura called from atop the roof as she leaned over and waved at him. Pein looked up with a smirk as Deidara and Tobi paused in their work to greet him. Tobi had been ecstatic as he waved but Deidara was more reserved with a deep frown as he grunted and continued painting. Pein could hear Hidan cursing from inside, apparently smashing his thumb with the hammer, again. Pein used his chakra to hover above the ground and float up to the roof where Sakura and Kakuzu sat, having decided to take a small break.

Ringed eyes scanned the area, noting the hole had been fixed expertly and was now covered with clay shingles. Half of the roof was already done, which took most people days to complete. Two shinobi did all of this in one day? That was almost impossible.

"I see things are going well." Pein commented, eyes now focused on the girl sitting cross-legged before his hovering form.

She smiled up at him. "Of course." There was a tiny hint of laughter in her voice as Sakura recalled her return from the woods.

_~Flashback~_

_Kisame laughed as Deidara stared bug-eyed at all the wood being placed on the awning before leaving to pick up another load. Sakura was busy separating the different lengths for future use while Kakuzu set down his load._

_"Isn't that enough, yeah?" Deidara questioned as he scanned the growing piles of timber._

_"Most of this is going to be used on the roof." Sakura supplied, setting aside another piece of wood into the correct pile._

_"Do you have an experience with roofing, yeah?" he asked as he crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze._

_"As a matter of fact, I do. I helped rebuild a lot of houses after Orochimaru's invasion during the Chunin exams." She stated with a glare._

_"Fucking Jashin, why am I even here? You can obviously do this shit yourself." Hidan spat with a deep growl._

_"Because one person can't to all this work on their own, moron." Kakuzu answered before Sakura could say anything._

_"Besides, didn't Leader-sama send you to help me out?" she questioned with a smirk._

_"And just what the fuck are you going to do if we don't work?" Hidan sneered with his head cocked to the side._

_"Yeah." Deidara chorused with a smirk._

_"Well, Hidan, if you don't work, I'll castrate you." Everyone laughed at his stricken face. "And you, Deidara… if you don't work, I'll take Hidan's freshly castrated balls and shove them into the mouths in your hands."_

_"You wouldn't dare!" both men spat as Sakura gave a triumphant smile._

_"I can and I will." The air around them chilled as the two men gulped. They started working after that, not wanting to piss off the pink-haired medic._

_~End flashback~_

Pein finally settled on the roof, watching as Itachi and Kisame joined the duo seated before him.

"Rika-san has made refreshments, if you are interested." Itachi intoned with an incline of his head as he looked to Sakura. She, in turn, looked at the horizon with a sigh.

"I guess we'll stop for the day. We've gotten a lot done." Sakura said, standing slowly and stretching her legs. She walked passed Pein and looked over the side. "Deidara, Tobi-kun, you can stop now. It's dinner time."

"About fucking time!" she hear Hidan call from somewhere by the front door.

~xxx~

Sakura had gone to bed hours ago but had been unable to fall asleep. Even as the sake she had consumed warmed her system and basically reduced her muscles to much, her mind was still wide awake. Why? Well, even she didn't know. Maybe the alcohol did funny things to her mind just like it did to her body, only keeping her awake instead of lulling her to sleep. That was the only logical explanation she could come up with. Sakura let out a sigh as she flicked the blankets off of herself and slowly climbed out of bed.

"This is what I get for trying to keep up with Kisame." She groaned as the room started to spin. Using her healing chakra, Sakura was able to clear the slight headache forming behind her temples and the other affects of too much alcohol in a short amount of time. "Note to self, never go against Kisame when alcohol is involved."

Pulling on a pair of shorts, Sakura quietly made her way out of her room and down the back stairs, keeping as quiet as possible so that she wouldn't wake anyone up. She made it to the kitchen without a problem, noting the Rika had cleaned up after the group had gone to bed. Another thing to thank the older woman for. Walking through the kitchen and into the banquet room, Sakura flipped the light switch and looked around. There was still so much to do, and since she wasn't able to sleep, Sakura decided that she would get a head start on some of the work.

Pein noticed the minute Sakura left her room. Sleep was never easily available for the Akatsuki leader; there were just too many variables to consider in the hunt to destroy Orochimaru and crush his forces before all hell broke loose. But he let his mind wander to the pink-haired medic stepping quietly passed his room on the third floor; the only other room other than her office and attached bedroom on said floor. He listened intently as her bare feet padded softly passed his room and descended the stairs, toward the kitchen. It was then that Pein decided that he wouldn't sleep for the rest of the night and proceeded to get out of bed, pulling a shirt over his messy mop of orange hair. He left his room in search of the medic.

He found her in the banquet room, standing on a stepping stool that was shorter than the required height she needed to reach the ceiling.

"It's passed midnight, princess… shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked, scaring the living daylights out of the pink-haired girl. Sakura let out a squeak of surprise and twirled to look at him, effectively loosing her footing on the stool and fell flat on her ass.

"Ugh… my _ass_." She groaned as she stood and rubbed her poor rump. "See what I mean? You always sneak up on me!" Sakura growled with a mock glare. Really, she should have been paying more attention… especially being so close to Sound's boarders.

"Just what exactly are you doing?" ringed eyes focused of her as Sakura bent over and picked up a roll of wallpaper.

"Getting some work done since I can't sleep." She answered, kicking the stool back into place and stepping up again.

"You are far too short for the job." Pein remarked with a smirk as she turned and glared at him.

"Oh really? Well then, _Kami-sama_, why don't you help me out since you're so… high and mighty?" in reality, Pein was only three or four inched taller than Sakura. There was no possible way he would be able to reach it if she couldn't.

"A God does not do menial labor." Pein responded, stone-faced as Sakura stepped off the stool. It seemed as though Sakura would have to resort to drastic measures. A hurt expression twisted her features as her bottom lip jutted out in a pout with her shaking hands gripping the wallpaper.

She took a shaky breath and bowed to him. "Pretty please, Leader-sama? Can you at least help me?" even though she scoffed when she saw others do it, she realized just how much fun it was in that particular moment as she widened her eyes and let them tear up while she pulled off the piece de la resistance, with her hands together in a pleading motion and positioning them to her side as she squeezed inwards, inwardly whooping as Pein's eyes where drawn to her pushed out, heaving chest. For being an eighteen year old virgin, Sakura sure knew how to make a man bend to her will… even the leader of the Akatsuki. Pein conceded after careful consideration.

"Speak of this to no one." The quiet demand as met with a tight nod as Sakura inwardly cheered herself for a job well done. Had she not just promised to keep her mouth shut, Ino would have been the first person she told about her first time using her friend's classic ploy to get Shikamaru to get off his lazy ass.

"Thank you, Leader-sama." She smiled and moved away from the wall as he stepped forward. Pein took the roll from her and stood on the stepstool. Sakura felt the tiniest flicker in his chakra as he levitated off of the stool to reach the ceiling, fitting the wet roll of paper into place. Of course, why didn't she think of that earlier? Pushing chakra into her feet, Sakura crouched and hopped onto the wall with a soft brush. Weaving her hands between his, Sakura pressed the brush over the wallpaper, ridding it of air bubbles.

"You missed one, princess." He said, his breath tickling her neck; that's how close they were at that very second.

"Where? I can't see it from this angle." She hissed, face contorted in concentration. Pein took one of her hands in his and moved it to brush over a spot on the other side. It her position, hanging sideways from the wall and thoroughly pressed against Pein's left side, Sakura was forces to take in his scent, feel the skin of his bare arm against her neck and his face so close to hers; Sakura could practically taste him. All she had to do was turn her head slightly to the right and press her lips to his. But she couldn't just do that. There was no way of knowing his reaction and it would have been grossly inappropriate.

So she leaned away from him and used a chakra scalpel to cut the access paper away. With in an hour, the room was finished and Sakura busied herself with cleaning up the mess they had made.

~xxx~

"So, all that's left is the rest of the roof, the divider wall for the bathhouse and mending the back fence?" Kakuzu asked, looking over the items crossed off the list. "Hey, when did the wallpaper get finished?"

"I did it last night when I couldn't sleep." Sakura answered, popping a spoon full of cereal into her mouth.

"The whole thing by yourself?" Kisame asked, scratching the back of his head. Sakura stealthily glanced at Pein who continued to read the morning paper as if nothing were wrong.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" she asked, pointing her spoon at him. Kisame gave a grumbled reply that she couldn't make out. "Don't complain, I saved your ass hours of work."

Kakuzu gave a nod, setting the list down next to Sakura. "Another point as to why we should have Sakura-san in the Akatsuki instead of Hidan." Kisame gave a nod of agreement.

"What was that, stitch-ass?" Hidan hollered and threw his plate of eggs at Kakuzu. It broke in a violent crash against the wall.

"You are so buying a new set of those plates, bastard!" Sakura hissed with a vicious glare.

"Another point in Sakura's favor." Kisame grinned.

~xxx~

Everything was wrapped up, cleaned, polished and gleaming by the weeks end. Sakura and Kakuzu along with Itachi took the remaining timber in town and made a hefty profit. Deidara, Tobi and Kisame left to return to base the day before while Hidan was sent to meet up with Zetsu in wave country and Pein stayed behind to oversee the last of the renovations. The geishas and maiko would be returning from Sakura's imposed vacation the following Monday with the rest of the maid staff.

And now everything was finished.

"We should spar when you come to give your report in two weeks." Kakuzu said as he pulled his cloak over his shoulders.

"Only if it means I can kick Hidan in the nuts; I'm game." Sakura smiled while waking the three men to the door.

"Until next time, Sakura-san." Itachi intoned, extending a hand to shake hers. She accepted the gesture with a grin.

"Of course, Itachi-san." Both men walked out the open door as Pein stopped next to her. Sakura bowed to him and gave a smile as he watched her.

"I have some things for you." Holding a box out for her to grab. Sakura raised a brow and took the box with hesitant hands. Inside the small, unassuming box was an Akatsuki cloak and a ring with a gold and black seal that read 'void'. "You are expected to wear the ring at all times. It is a communication device. And the cloak is to be worn whenever you leave this village, even if you heading to base."

"I understand." Sakura said with a firm nod and looked back in the box. "It was _his_ ring, wasn't it?"

Pein smirked at her disgusted face. "Not to worry, Konan spent hours cleaning it."

"Remind me to thank her for that." She snorted with a slight chuckle. "Thank you for sending them. I never would have finished this on time. And the banquet room… thank you. I promise I won't tell a soul."

"I should hope not." He countered with a smirk before brushing passed her. If Sakura didn't know better, she would have thought his hand had touched hers on purpose. But she chalked it up to the small space of the entryway. Once they disappeared from sight, Sakura closed the door with a sigh and slipped the ring onto the only finger it would fit on, the left pinky, before trying on her new cloak.

"Ok… this is officially the _coolest_ temporary gift I have ever received!"

***Big freaking thank you to Rose for the help on this chapter... and our random twin tangents.***

(**A/N**: Another chapter down. Alright, I was thinking of making a sequel to _'Disasterpiece'_ but you guys have to leave a comment and let me know if it's worth the trouble. If you haven't read it yet. You should. Seriously. Anyways… have a nice holiday, as I have to work… damn it!)


	4. Chapter 4

Right Under Your Nose

(**A/N**: Sorry it took so long to update, I've been busy… very busy. I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave a comment to let me know what you think.)

~xxx~

The finance reports were no different from the ones back home, Sakura found as she flipped to a blank page and began re-evaluating the Okiya's finances. Downstairs, she could hear the maids, geisha and maiko working on their chores - cleaning and polishing the wood ballasts and trim work, washing and folding bedding, tablecloths, napkins and so on - as she worked diligently on paperwork that had to be filed with both Leader-sama and Kakuzu. She had also promised a pay increase for the occupants if there was enough to spare. With a sigh, Sakura counted and recorded receipts, adding in the money she made from the extra wood and whatever was leftover from the last Okaa-san.

Line after line was filled with Ryo amounts, names of businesses and the dates the purchases and deposits were made. Sakura filled up four pages before she realized that the Okiya was short by almost 100,000 Ryo and loosing more by the day. She growled and snapped the book closed before tossing it across the room.

"This is just great!" she yelled, placing her head in her hands as she glared down at the desk. "Not only am I working for a man who could kill me with his pinky… his damn brothel is short by a small fortune!" her fists slammed against the desk, but she held back on her strength not wanting to replace the damn thing. "I am so dead when he finds out."

"Um… Sakura-sama?" a voice called from the doorway. Sakura looked up to find Rika standing by the open door with a tray in her hands. "Is something the matter, Sakura-sama?" asked the older woman with wide eyes and trembling hands. Sakura slumped forward and smacked her head on the desk.

"He's going to kill me." Rika shuffled into the room and set the tray on the desk before cleaning up the strewn papers on the floor.

"It can't be that bad." The woman sighed as she walked farther into the office area to retrieve more of the lined paper.

"Leader-sama is going to tear me a new one when he sees that… that is if there is anything left of me after Kakuzu hears about this." Sakura groaned, shaking her head against the tabletop. Rika sighed with a frown, she didn't know much about finances but from the look of things on paper, she felt sorry for the pink-haired medic.

"I'm sure Pein-sama will forgive you. It wasn't your fault to begin with." Wrinkled cheeks drew taunt with a strained smile; heaven forbid, Sakura wasn't on the receiving end of Pein's wrath when he did see this… or Kakuzu's, for that matter. "It's all Naomi's doing… and she has already been punished for it."

"Where is she, by the way? I want to put my fist through her face!" the rosette cried, sitting up straight with a deep frown and heavy glare. Rika's strained smile turned into a knowing smirk, creepy for an old woman.

"Last I heard, drawn and quartered and thrown to the wolves." Sakura gave a huff and crossed her arms.

"Ruin my fun." She grumbled before eyeing the tray of food on her desk. Onigiri… and it looked so good. Plucking one of the tasty rice balls from the tray, Sakura sighed. "Did they ever find the money she took?"

"No they did not, Sakura-sama."

"Damn! This day just keeps getting better and better." Sakura sneered, taking a huge bite of the Onigiri. Too bad she was too pissed to fully enjoy the meal. Chewing angrily, the younger woman growled before swallowing and licking her lips. "I'm selling all of Naomi's things, minus the kimonos the girls want to keep. We'll have to cut a few things and raise the prices on food and drinks to cover the costs." With a scowl, Sakura took another bite. "This is really good, by the way." Rika smiled in return, placing the record book on the desk before bowing and excusing herself. "Ugh, now I know how Tsunade feels everyday."

~xxx~

Pein nursed a growing headache. Paperwork piled on his desk, some mission reports, some village related mumbo-jumbo that annoyed him to no end, yet it wasn't getting done any faster. This body needed more rest, Konan would understand if he slipped out for a few hours. Yes, that was it. All he needed was a little rest and a hot meal, and everything would be as good as new. Running a country, a criminal organization and fighting a war was not an easy task to balance. Finally following Konan's requests for more rest, Pein stood from his desk and made his way to the door.

The hallways were darker than his office, allowing himself a moment to adjust, Pein took a left down the dark and deserted hall. His men were out spying and crushing encampments that belonged to Sound. He had lied when he told the Hokage that no one had been targeted as of yet. In fact, Sound had two targets (other than Tsunade, herself) that they wished to be rid of before their invasion. One was as plain as day, their biggest threat to their plan, and the other… well, she safer where she was now than in Konoha to begin with. Why had he lied? Simple. To get what he needed without further complications.

Belatedly, he thought of the pink-haired medic running his okiya. She had a good head on her shoulders and was able to defend herself, but he kept Kakuzu and Hidan close to her location… just in case. Honestly, the last place you'd think to look is right under your nose, and Sakura was pretty close to Sound. But with Orochimaru and Sasuke, one never really knew what to expect. Kabuto on the other hand… the little lapdog could be crushed under his sandal and he wouldn't even bat an eyelash. Then he thought about sending her a message, to make sure all was well. But it had only been two days since he left her on her own… not long enough to worry.

With a sigh, Pein cut his thoughts short as he walked the halls, shoulders set despite the angry throb from a knot in his back. The chakra used to keep the rain flowing was an insignificant amount, but the chakra used to propel this body forward was taxing. Believe it or not, all six bodies were a larger drain on his chakra than the rain around his city; a simple jutsu that allowed him a shred of peace in the deep recesses of the tower he called home.

Peace

The word sounded so foreign to him. He had never known true peace, even in his sleep. Nightmares haunted him. Visions of his parents, the little stray dog he once had… his best friend and his selflessness and courage in the face of the enemy.

_'My dear friend, Yahiko.'_ He thought, pausing in his steps. The body his consciousness currently occupied was that of his best friend. Bringing those hands into his line of sight, hands that were not his, Nagato pondered, not for the first time, what things would be like had his friend lived. "My Friend, your sacrifice will not be in vein. With your hands, I will usher in a new era of peace. Jiraiya once said that I had the power to either destroy or save this world. Uzumaki Naruto will save those who can be saved and I will destroy the old world to bring in the new. That is my vow to you… brother." With that, he blinked and continued down the dark corridors to the room that housed the tubes of his other forms.

As expected, Konan waited for his arrival to the chamber, blank expression on her face though her eyes held slight worry as he approached.

"You should have left the desk hours ago." The blue-haired scolded lightly, a small frown pulling at her lips, highlighting the piercing under her plump lips.

"There is much to be done." He responded flatly, glancing at her with his head tilted to the side ever-so-slightly. "You above all know the involvement required of me to make things go as smoothly as possible." Konan did not argue his point, merely nodded in understanding.

"All I ask is that you consider your health, Nagato." She urged, placing a hand on his arm. "Yahiko always looked after you, it's time you did the same for him and stay healthy." For a moment, no one spoke and Konan seriously thought she had overstepped the boundaries. But the faint smirk on his lips told her otherwise.

"You were always the smart one of the group." She gave a smirk of her own.

"And I thought you were the genus." A rumble of a chuckle left Pein's chest as he stepped passed her and into the room. Konan followed closely behind him, operating the switches and buttons as the lid to his tube slid upward. "I will wake you in a few hours. Anything in particular you want when you wake?"

"Tempura and tea." She nodded at his request, tempura she could do (cooking had never been her strong suit). At the tap of a button, the lid slid shut and all was quiet. Resting a hand on the glass of the tube, Konan sighed.

"Rest well."

~xxx~

The basement was clear of any and all secret spaces, compartments and genjutsu. Well damn! Sakura was really starting to wish she had the Byakugan or a Byakugan user with her. Neji came in handy when he wanted to be nice… which was rare in and of itself. If he could just remove that sick from his ass, Sakura would consider dating the ice block… if it was ok with her team, of course. With a heavy sigh, Sakura trudged her way out of the dirty dungeon and made her way to the banquet hall, where she was to have dinner with the geisha and maiko before her customers arrived.

Straightening her kimono, Sakura trekked into the hall with a tight smile. And she was greeted with warm smiles and loud thanks for her kindness. You see, Sakura had given everyone in the house a physical the moment they returned from their 'vacation' and offered them all the clothes in her closet; the kimonos, slippers, nightgowns and various other things that either didn't fit Sakura or she didn't want. Now that everyone was healthy and happy, they could trust the younger girl to run things as she had demonstrated thus far. They were in good hands. It was also a learning experience, for Sakura. Now she knew the names of the women in her house to go with faces.

"Well, good evening everyone." Sakura greeted as she took her seat at the head of the table.

"Good evening, Sakura-sama." Fifteen voices called in unison. Sakura felt her smile relax a little. The chores were done in record time, as Rika had explained to Sakura, giving the girls extra time to get to know their new Okaa-san and by now, Sakura felt comfortable enough to speak freely with the girls.

"It's too bad we missed the guys while they were here." One maiko spoke, a blush creeping through her makeup - the girl must have been feverish to tint all of that makeup pink.

"Please," Sakura flapped her hand and turned her face to the side. "Listening to Hidan complain about smashing his thumb a bazillion times is hardly worth the chatter."

"True," another girl piped up, "but Deidara-san is totally worth it." Sakura wanted to vomit. Deidara was hardly the person she would pick to talk about. The man was more vein than every woman in this house combined. Period. End of story.

"Itachi-san is hot." Another chimed in, not bothering to filter the words flying out of her mouth. "He's dreamy, gorgeous, well kept… I bet he's even well endowed too."

"Bite your tongue, Kiname!" one of the older geisha snapped, fanning herself with one hand while the other held her chopsticks. "Besides, Pein-sama is better looking." Sakura groaned at this, placing her head in her hands; she was in a room full of painted up Ino Yamanaka's. Just how bad could it possibly get?

"Kakuzu-san is amazing." Yet another maiko joined in, shinny blue eyes cast in a dreamy gaze as she rested her chin on laced fingers. "His threads are so cool and they do as he bids them. Just imagine how amazing he would be at Chinese knots." Ok, that put Sakura over the edge as she sat up and cleared her throat.

"Right. Well, clearly you all know the softer side of these guys. Let me tell you a thing or two about the Akatsuki." She got the attention of everyone at the table. "First, no matter how cute or good looking you think they are, they're still criminals. Second, if the _'took care' _of Naomi for taking a couple hundred thousand Ryo… what do you think will happen if you piss one of them off?" Sakura looked around the room, watching with a raised brow as the girls considered her words.

"How do you know they'll do that?" Kiname - the mouthy maiko - asked as she looked at Sakura as if she were trying to steal her bread.

"Were you ever here when Akasuna no Sasori was in the Akatsuki?" the rosette asked while crossing her arms. At the girls nod, she continued. "His specialty was puppets. And do you know where his puppets came from?"

"That simple." Aiko - the Kakuzu-loving maiko - chimed as she folded her hands in her lap. "He made them in a workshop, from wood." Sakura shook her head at the girls' naïveté.

"All of his puppets were once living people. Sasori himself was a puppet." Shocked gasps filled the room, mouths agape, stares sent her way, some in disbelief and others in realization. The medic only nodded for a long moment then lifted a hand and placed it on her flat stomach. "I fought against him and almost died. But he told me a few things during our fight, and one of which was his 'art'."

"I thought Deidara-san said some old woman killed him." One of the older geisha spoke after a long pause.

"Chiyo-baasama was with me, she fought with me and we defeated him." Sakura supplied as if it were nothing. All was quiet for a moment as Sakura looked from painted face to painted face. "But enough of that. I like intellectual conversation, and Kisame-san is the best for that… once you get passed his… _'rough'_ exterior."

_"Not in this lifetime!" _Kiname screeched with wide, horror-filled eyes. "Have you _really_ looked at him? He scares the living daylights out of me with his blue skin, beady eyes, sharp teeth and- ouch!" Rika retracted her arm as she glared down at the young maiko.

"What was that about my grandson?" glances were exchanged as whispers erupted from the group while Sakura grinned at the old woman. She couldn't quite see the resemblance between the two, but she was not about to doubt the woman's words.

"Then why is he blue?" a girl questioned and was immediately shushed by another.

"Aw. Now I know where he gets that smirk from." Sakura commented, eyeing that same smirk on Rika's lips. The older woman smiled broadly with a tight nod of her head.

Somewhere in the swamps, Kisame sneezed loudly, sniffling as he turned to his partner.

"I hope you are not coming down with something." Itachi said as he paused in his steps.

"How many years have we been partners, Itachi-san?" it was a rhetorical question at best. "And how many times have I gotten sick?" Itachi thought for a moment.

"Hn." Translation: 'never'.

"Exactly!" snapped Kisame as they continued their journey. "Probably just someone talking about me, is all."

"Hn. I bet it's your grandmother, regaling the girls with stories of you in diapers." The Uchiha concluded as he eyed his partner. Kisame stopped moving, sinking an inch or two into the muck under his feet.

"You don't think- ah, hell! Yeah, you're probably right." Right then and there, Kisame vowed to bind Rika's mouth closed with cloth from the bindings on Samehada.

~xxx~

Three in the morning and all was quiet. After an… interesting dinner and a long night of listening for information, Sakura was exhausted but she couldn't sleep. Rika had told her not to worry about the money, it would be recovered in due time, but the young medic couldn't help it. She had been sent to run this establishment and, by hook or by crook, she was going to find that damn money even if it killed her… or Kakuzu…

With a sigh, Sakura rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillows. She wondered what Naruto and Kakashi were doing, if Sai had insulted someone unknowingly and if Yamato was stressed out; the usual. Then she thought about her parents and older brother. The civilian family had moved to an outpost town not far from Konoha, and she wished she could see them again. It had been far too long - a few years, really - since she last spoke with them; not counting their monthly letters. Turning her head to the window, Sakura smiled. Though this was not her home, she would make damn sure that the people in this house were cared for and protected. And besides, they had to pass her family's small town to get to Konoha, plenty of opportunities to see her dearly missed parents and brother. Then she began to wonder…

What about Sasuke?

**'What about him?'** inner Sakura sneered with her lips curled. **'The bastard left us on a bench. We caught a cold because of him!'**

"He was our friend." Sakura snapped in a whisper, glaring at the moon in the clear night sky.

**'Keyword dear: _was_.'** Inner responded with a humph of protest. **'He doesn't deserve our attention and lack of sleep. Block him out before I knock you out!'**

Sakura chuckled at her inner persona. "So violent today. What's got your panties in a twist?"

**'_What's got my panties in a twist_? You're thinking about that traitor when you should be sleeping!'** huffed inner Sakura as bright red flames of rage shot up around her. **'There are more important things to worry about than that backstabbing, stupid, Uchiha!'**

"Oh, like what?"

**'First, there's tons of hunky man-meat we could be drooling over but, _instead_, you're thinking of that bastard Uchiha! Second, we're on a mission! Buck up and get to work girl. Third, we _seriously_ need to get laid!' **Sakura growled at that last one.

"Need I remind you that I am a _virgin_? Number three will never _ever_ happen." She snapped a bit loudly and clapped a hand over her mouth. With a sigh, Sakura rolled her eyes. "And besides, if we even _considered_ acting upon number three, just who in the hell would we do _it_ with?" Inner Sakura produced a scroll and unraveled it.

**'I thought you'd never ask.'** Grinned inner Sakura as she started naming names. **'For starters, there's Neji - gorgeous piece of ass that he is. Shikamaru - lazy can be a good thing, you know. Hmm…' she trailed off, looking further down the list. 'Oh, Leader-sama… that could be interesting. Kisame - if we closed our eyes. Itachi-kun-'**

"Since when did you start calling him that? And what the hell? _Leader-sama?_ Yeah, I don't feel like dieing today, so we'll just stop there."

**'You are such a prude! Just think about it.'** Inner fumed, cracking her knuckles.

"_Kami_- you sound like Ino!" the medic groaned as she buried her blushing face into her pillow again. Her inner persona was flashing naughty images of her and various partners before her eyes. "You are as perverted as Jiraiya!"

"Who is as perverted as Jiraiya?" a voice beckoned from the windowsill. Sakura's entire body went rigid as she gasped into her pillow while inner Sakura flashed a rather - ok, extremely - inappropriate image of herself and the man standing in the room. Slowly, Sakura turned her head to look at Pein, a fierce blush on her face. He was waiting for an answer. She hoped he couldn't read minds.

"Um… n-no one." She stammered, clutching her pillow under her chin. Wearing a tank top and a pair of Naruto's boxers while laying above the covers was not the best idea. Pein didn't seem to notice her state of dress - either that or he didn't care - as he crossed his arms, watching the pink-haired medic aimlessly reach for her robe. Having found what she was searching for, Sakura covered herself and gulped. "Is there something you needed, Leader-sama?"

Pein's eyes locked on hers, looking for something, she surmised while keeping her gaze fixed on his. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other before taking a step towards her. Sakura stiffened slightly, watching for any outward sign of hostility. She found none as he stopped short of the bed.

"Another nightmare?" he asked, voice devoid of emotion which caused Sakura to blink in surprise.

"Um… no. Just couldn't sleep, is all." She answered with her brows drawn together. Just what the hell was he playing at? Pein nodded softly, turning away from the bed and moving to sit in the small couch across from her. Sakura took the opportunity to fix her robe and tied it tightly around her small body.

"I came to see how the first night went." He stated plainly, apparently this was a business trip for him.

"Oh." Sakura whispered, sitting up on the bed before crawling to the end and sitting Indian style at the bottom. "Well, there isn't much to tell." She said, bracing her hands on her knees. "Only one of our customers had something to say." There was a pause as Sakura sucked in a breath. "There are two teams of Mist Hunters looking for specific targets. They had been spotted outside of Iwagakure and Kusagakura. Whoever they're looking for did not come up in the conversation… even with a drop of truth potion."

Pein nodded in understanding, it was more information than he was expecting. He only hoped that she didn't find out just whom they were looking for - he didn't need her to be stressed out with the prospect of being captured in her sleep. On that note, she should upgrade her window traps.

"Very well." Pein said as he stood, reaching into his cloak as he stepped towards her. A heartbeat later, he held out a scroll for her to take. "Write down any information you receive. This is directly linked to me." He paused for a second, giving Sakura a meaningful glace as she took the scroll in her hands. "If anything should happed, use it." A finger slid over her exposed knuckles without his noticing, but Sakura did… and she did her best not to let it show.

"Hai. I understand." she gave a tight nod and pocketed the scroll. Pein moved towards the window from whence he came and turned to face her again.

"Hidan and Kakuzu will be in the area, see to it that they have rested before their upcoming mission." He said, giving her a small nod. "And… update your traps." Then he was gone, leaving the window wide open.

Sakura blinked as she stared at the open window before standing. Stomping her way to the window, she growled. "You could have closed it… stalker!"

~xxx~

Kakuzu glared daggers at Hidan as they walked the path to the okiya. If Hidan didn't shut his damn mouth, Kakuzu was going to fucking kill him. Immortal or not, Hidan would rue the day he opened his mouth against another bounty.

"… _Seriously_! This fucking shit has to stop. By Jashin, I'll sacrifice your stitched ass if we're hunting down _another_ worthless piece of shit!" grumbled the silver-haired holy man as he tossed his head to the side, jutting his lips with tightly knit brows drawn together. "And the pink-haired bitch, I swear to Jashin, if she makes me do more work I'll sacrifice her too!"

"Shut your mouth, dumbass." Kakuzu said, taking the steps of the okiya two at a time. Thank Kami, he made it without going crazy. The stitched man entered the building first, letting the front door slam in Hidan's face as he shrugged and stepped towards the maiko at the front counter.

"Ohaiyo gozaimasu, Kakuzu-san, Hidan-san-"

"Fucking slammed the damn door in my face, you fucking stitch-ass freak!"

"How may we be of service to you today?" the younger girl greeted with a smile on her painted lips, not flinching at the Jashinist's outburst.

"We are here to see Sakura." Kakuzu responded, glancing over his shoulder to scowl at Hidan under his mask. He turned back to see the girl nod and pick up a bell. Ringing the bell, the maiko smiled at the men before Rika appeared from a side door, a tray of food in her hands.

"Rika-san, they've come to see Okaa-sama." Rika nodded softly.

"This way, gentlemen." Rika called as she turned and led them through the kitchen to go up the back staircase. They would be receiving guests in a few hours, keeping the Akatsuki influence hidden was key to the Okiya's operation. Even though one member of the house is, in fact, related to a member of said organization. In plain sight is the best place to hide.

Reaching Sakura's upstairs apartment, Hidan and Kakuzu were told to wait in the hall as Rika knocked and entered the medic's sanctuary. Hushed whispers floated through the crack in the door, the woman discussing something they could not make out from where they stood.

"Will you fucking hurry up?" the peaceful quiet air was destroyed by Hidan's big mouth.

"Get in here fucker, so I can strangle you!" shouted Sakura from behind the door. Said door slammed open from the force of Hidan's kick, punching a hole in the plaster wall. "You are paying for that and fixing it yourself!"

"The hell I am."

"Hidan, knock it off." Kakuzu growled as he stepped in after his partner. "And you are fixing it." The bounty hunter from Takigakure glared fiercely at his partner, walking further into the room.

"I wasn't expecting you until later tonight," commented Sakura with a frown. "That's alright, better now than never." She said with a wave of her hand. Sakura stood from the desk and pressed the wrinkles from her kimono before walking towards them. "I'll show you to your rooms." Kakuzu moved out of the way as Sakura reach out and…

"Oi, oi, oi, _OI_! Let go of my fucking ear, bitch!" cried Hidan as Sakura dragged him down the hall to the stairs. She took him to a room on the second floor at the end of the hall, so he could be far away from everyone.

"This is your room for the evening. Get some rest and have a good night." There was a sickening sweet smile on her lips and her tone was just as sugarcoated, too. "Oh, and if you leave this room at all, other than to use the bathroom or if there's an attack… you're dead." Her tone left no room for argument nor did she give him the chance to. Sakura turned heel and stalked out of the room, sliding the door closed behind her. Turning to Kakuzu, she smiled. "I'm sure you don't want to share a room with him, let alone be on the same floor… so, you can stay in the guest room upstairs."

"Now I see why Kisame likes you so much." He said, letting her walk back up the stairs.

"Nah, I just hate Hidan, is all. The idiot would probably eat you guys out of house and home if he didn't have you around to kick his ass." She supplied, and there was no denying her logic. Kakuzu studied the pink-haired medic as she led the way back to her office. She was smart, young, undeniably pretty and as fit as a fiddle… too bad he wasn't allowed to touch her, her heart would have made an excellent replacement. Oh well.

"How are the finances coming?" he saw her stiffen at the door, shoulders tight and set as her spine straightened. Sakura stepped into the room, followed closely by Kakuzu.

"Yeah, about that…"

_Snap_

The floorboard under Kakuzu's foot cracked and splintered upward. Sakura spun around with wide eyes. Kakuzu moved his foot, staring at the floor with a glare. Something under the floorboard caught their eyes… something green and undeniably paper. Reaching down, Kakuzu picked up the paper with a raised brow. It was a 100 Ryo note. Sakura bent down and pulled up another floorboard only to discover more money.

"Never mind the finance issues… I do believe we've just found Naomi's stash!"

"The last place you'd think to look is right under your nose."

(A/N: I am so sorry it took me so long to get this up. Please, don't shoot me!)


End file.
